Hello all,

I have a Panda Cross 2008 model and recently had its 80 000 km service (6000 kms ago). I am extremely happy with the car.

This afternoon while driving at slow speed, the "ELD disconnected" warning came on with the "Check engine" warning light. I have not been driving using the ELD since winter and was not driving using the ELD at the time. This has happened twice before, but was fixed by simply shutting the car off for a while. (This problem is now seemingly fixed again after I checked it 10 minutes ago.)

This problem seems to be a bit more serious as I continued to drive. Whenever I accelerate to 3000 rpm the power just fades away. Not like a sudden cut-out, but pretty much exactly at 3000 rpm, no power, and no possibility to rev or accelerate beyond that. The only way to build up speed was to get to 4th and 5th below 3000 rpm and use momentum. I suppose this is what you might call "limping home" mode.

I have found this thread https://www.fiatforum.com/panda/116431-no-power-go.html that seems to relate to a similar sort of problem, except that I DO have the "engine check" light on and NO smoke. Fuel sensor? EGR Valve? I will take it in on Monday morning, but do any of you have any ideas? Suggestions?

Much, much appreciated.

UPDATE: I have started and switched the car off a couple of times, and now there is no more "Check engine" warning light and it is back to normal. Power as normal above 3000 rpm. Now this is even more strange and worrying to me. What could this be? The last thing I want is a tempremental car with poltergeist electronics.

I have just had exactly this prob fixed on my 100HP, luckily for me under warranty. It was the throttle potentiometer (sensor). Took a couple of visits to the dealer for them to pinpoint it, but it sounds exactly the same. Some days it would run perfectly then, for no reason at all, the EML would come on and the car go into "limp home mode" - limited revs and acceleration. Eventually it would go out, usually after leaving it overnight, and revs back to normal. Otherwise ran fine, but scary when it happened overtaking. Lucky for me, "limp home" in mine still allowed 80mph downhill and with a tailwind
It it's the same thing, it should be driveable but they said would've cost about £160 (Fiat dealer) if we'd had to pay.

Hi - thank you - the big question is; would the Fiat garage know what the problem is on Monday when I take them a car that, in all likelihood, will be a 100%??!!

Do these computer diagnostic thingys pick a problem from three days prior?

well the first time we went, they reckoned the computer did NOT pick up the fault. So I re read the manual, which clearly said it would record and store all errors even if the light went out. I went back and said my ECU must be faulty and I wanted a new one under warranty.
As if by magic, the computer had recorded 8 faults after all. Funny that!:bang:

when the "eld-disconnected" warning comes on do you get the message "4x4 mode unavailable"? - if so this may be a separate problem to the "check engine" warning. Some of the UK crosses had the ELD fault (including me) which is a fault in the electro-hydraulic actuator in the rear differential. The check engine could be any number of sensors reporting a fault, only by reading & then interpreting the fault codes logged in the ECU would a garage be able to diagnose the problem.

I must admit I am also mystified about the connection between "ELD disconnected", "Check engine" and the power loss at 3000 rpm. I thought that maybe this was a type of standard procedure for the engine when power has been compromised. (Artificial intelligence?)

UPDATE: Even though the problem seemed to have disappeared last night, it came back again this morning after a short drive. What is interesting (after reading some posts here on related problems), that switching the car on-and-off four times in a row seem to "cure" the problem temporarily. But, as you say, only the error codes will reveal all.

I will report back.

My money is on MAF sensor or throttle pot.

Do Pandas have a MAF meter?

My old Corsa had exactly the same problem, I got my mechanic to do a ECU scan with his £2000 diagnostics machine, recorded no fault but he could see from the readings the lambda readings were out.

I know this was a common problem with the Corsa, so I bit the bullet and managed to get a Bosch MAF for £90 brand new (Vauxhall wanted £300 just for the part) and fitting myself. It ran perfectly then until the head gasket blew.

When the MAF was faulty it would just suddenly loose power at around 3000rpm and it was actually quite dangerous when crossing busy junctions, was nearly rear ended a few times until I fixed it.

VERDICT (Don't laugh): Clamp around the turbo pipe to the airfilter-box was completely loose (at the turbocharger). :bang: The pipe would, therefore, at times just blow-off. :bang:

CONCLUSION TO THIS: Always assume that a faulty mechanic was working on the car. Again, it teaches me a lesson: always go through your own damn engine thoroughly every time a damn mechanic has been within 3 feet of it.

Thanks for all the help!

Ha, when I took Panda to the dealer for the first time for a warranty claim the mechanic came out with me, he was looking in the engine for loose hoses, I ask why and he said they often shake loose on Pandas

I thought he was a bit nutty, but it looks like he was right

I once took my Panda back to an official Fiat garage in Vevey (Switzerland) after they have serviced it, I was not too happy with the excessive turbo-whine. After looking around in the engine-bay the idiot mechanic retrieved a hand mirror that he left in there from a few days back.
I kid you not.

Now I remember finding the turbo inlet pipe very loose on our Panda not so long back. As far as I was aware noone had touched that part since new so either the torque is set low in the factory or the material 'relaxes' a bit.

I am sure it has a bit more to cope with in a Cross that in a standard Panda.

Good news though and a nice easy fix.

I agree. It may not have been human error, I concede that.

Apparantly due to the MJ's typical diesel rock-and-roll dance under the hood stuff do in fact shake loose. So the lesson is to do a check oneself every once in a while.